Boogeyman
by Damned Lolita
Summary: When Mello is adopted, things don't turn out exactly as he'd hoped. Now Matt, Near, and L have to get Mello out of there before the boogeyman reaches out from under the bed and eats Mello up...literally. ::MattMello, eventually::
1. Parasitic psychopath

(I have so much other crap going on right now that I SO should not be writing this. Kiddo is a bad girl. /grins/ But seriously, this idea got in my head, and WOULD NOT LET GO. Grrr.

For starters, blame Albert Fish for this entire thing. It's all his fault for being such a disturbing serial killer. Bleh.

As for excessive use of the word 'bloody' as in 'bloody hell', well, even though there's no damned British accents in the show , /which sucks, I love Brit accents, the language probably rubbed off on them. So bloody is a mild swear, sort of like 'dammit'. I don't own Death Note or Pokemon or the Titanic or WHATEVER.

Also, I don't know how old they are exactly; when I wrote this, I couldn't quite put my finger on how old I wanted them to be... so make of their ages what you wish. May be a bit OOC. I'm not quite sure...

And L is at Wammy's and has actually seen the damn kids. I refuse your bit of canon, damn you. Also, Near is a sheep. Like that sheep from _Sheep in the Big City, _which I loved when I was little.)

* * *

"Rooooogeeerrr..." Matt whined, staring up at the caretaker. "You _caaaaaaaan't_ leeeeeeeeave..." The man looked down at the young gamer, who was currently clinging to his leg in what was supposed to justify cuteness.

"Do not drag your vowels out like that, Matt, it's unbecoming. Secondly, I have important matters to attend to; there is a case with my family that requires immediate attention." The redhead stomped his foot.

"Fine! I'm tellin' Meeelllooo!" He shrieked, which was actually a worse threat than it sounded.

"MEEEEELLOOO! ROGER'S TELLIN' ME I'M DRAGGING OUT MY VOOOOWWWEELLLS..." He ran off, presumably to find the young hothead. Roger sighed.

Well, that was someone else's problem. He had to go meet the temporary stand-in for the children's guardian here at the orphanage.

He found her waiting at the gate, a cheerful, plump woman, whose name, as she announced, was Lilly Francis. She was perfectly ready and prepared to meet the children, good golly gosh, gee _bloody_ whiz.

Roger hated her so much.

He comforted himself with the fact that she'd never survive the terror known as Mihael Keehl, also known as Mello, also known as Mel-Mel, and that bitchy kid.

"WHAT IS THIS I HEAR ABOUT YOU ABUSING MATT!?" Roger winced. God_ damn_ it.

The gamer clung to the blonde, sobbing quietly, which Roger knew was absolutely fake. The woman, he noted, looked terrified.

Mello snarled at Roger, and he saw the smirk that had formed beforehand. Damn it, that brat was in for it later...

"No one tells _my_ Matt what to do but _me. _That is why he is_ mine_. He's obviously distraught at your sudden departure, Roger,_ why_ cause him more anxiety by forcing him into a state of panic? He merely wanted to assuage you from leaving the orphanage, obviously wanting his father figure to stay." There was silence. Mello rolled his eyes, and huffed.

"Separation anxiety, you fucking morons." Lilly pulled herself up in a rage.

"Well, I've had enough of that language! Clean up your act, young man!" And even Roger grinned at that. She was going to be stuck in a living nightmare.

Mello was silent for a second. Matt giggled. And then the blonde opened his mouth.

"Hell shit bloody ass cock fuck you goddamn bitch, I swear to fucking Christ, don't fuck with me."

Matt burst out laughing, and Roger had to give a half-hearted, "Now, now..." before dissolving into very unbecoming giggles behind Lilly's back as she stormed in.

"Near, don't leave your trains in the hallway, L, for god's sake, please get out of the fridge and look presentable, and for god's sake, someone call somebody!" He recited in a monotone, utterly used to this.

Poor Lilly, though. L stared at her with wide-open eyes, and when that boy stared, he _stared_. She blinked, and turned her head away. Near sat crouched to the floor, and said nothing as Mello snarled at him in passing.

"Well, here's the desk, papers, beware of Mello's bitch-fits—" "HEY!" Roger ignored him. "Keep L out of the kitchen after two in the morning, Matt must go outside for at least ten minutes per day, Near is not allowed to set trains up in the hallway, even if he says it's to keep out burglars. It's not. And make sure the house doesn't burn down. Watari is on call for assistance, but as for everyone else, just handle things as best as you can. See you!"

Roger hauled out of there faster that Mello had thought possible for the old man. He snickered to himself, and unwrapped a new bar of chocolate. The woman glared at him, and hissed, "I am Lilly Francis, and there has been no child I could not handle! I highly doubt you'll be the first, young man!" Mello bit off a section of the bar, and said nothing. He turned on his heel, and stalked out of the office.

Matt shrugged, and bounded after his friend, chattering away in video-game music speak, happily singing gibberish.

"Well, that went well." Near said, noticing the flushed look and triumphant grin on Mello's face. He nodded.

"I suppose." He bent down, and just for the heck of it, knocked over Near's tower of dice, sticking his tongue out, and running away.

"He's so immature..." Near said to himself, pulling into a ball and pouting. Of course, this is when Lilly came out of the office and saw the adorable albino fuzzball that was Near.

"Oh, my poor _dearie_! Did that _awful_ boy ruin your tower!?" She swept him up into a bone crushing, organ-smooshing hug, which did not exactly thrill the child, but his larynx was crushed, so he couldn't really speak up on his behalf.

"Bweh heh heh." Matt muttered, checking this out from the window. "I almost feel sorry for him." He remarked, nuzzling Mello's cheek and smiling. Mello rolled his eyes.

"I don't. C'mon, it's late, we should grab dinner and head back up here. No sense in doing much while she's out there." His lip curled. "And on_ Near's_ side, as well."

Mello and Matt sprinted down to the kitchen, and snagged some fruit and bread; Mello also grabbed the last carton of chocolate ice cream before they darted out again.

The rest of the night they spent up in their own room, their makeshift palace, eating fruit and discussing how they'd take over the world when Mello became L.

They fell asleep as soon as dawn cracked like a soggy yellow egg over Britain, Mello curled protectively over Matt.

"Mhmmm... Mello? Mel?" Matt said softly, pulling himself up. It was about eleven o'clock now, he guessed. Wow, they'd slept late...

"_Snrrt_. Red lorry. Yellow lorry." The blonde grunted, cuddling closer to Matt's thigh. The gamer rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of lorries, there's a friggin' car outside. And look, some yuppie just got out, too. Wonder if he's here to see L?" Matt told his friend. Mello shrugged, and pulled himself up.

"Dunno. Wanna go down to breakfast?" Matt shrugged, and nodded, following his boy out of the room, adjusting his goggles as they went.

* * *

Back in Lilly's office, the man had been let in, and was now sitting across from her, a warm smile on his lips. Smarter minds would've noted it to be false, but Lilly, dreadfully, was just a bit naive and... well, rather thick.

"So, Master Carter, you'd like to adopt?" She said, smiling girlishly at the dapper, middle-aged man in the dignified suit. He nodded, and said quietly, "Yes, and if it's alright with you, may I see the three children you spoke to me about?" She nodded.

"The two rotters will be in the kitchen. My darling Near, however, should still be in his room. I'll go get them!" She said, rising up and bustling off to get the two 'rotters'.

When she found them, she merely barked, "Someone's here to see you," before dashing off to find her 'precious Near'. Mello rolled his eyes.

"Bloody _hell,_ does _everyone_ worship the little sheep? Seriously. He looks like this_ bloody_ picture of a bloody _sheep_ I saw that was blind. His eyes are weird as hell." Matt grinned.

"Even if they weren't, they'd never be as pretty as yours, anyways." Both of them stopped short. Mello burned bright red, and gaped at Matt, who looked like he was going to cry.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that, I—" Mello smiled gently.

"So you think I'm ugly?" He joked, but this furthered Matt on the brink of tears. Mello had never really dealt with crying well, so he shook his head, and hugged Matt.

"God, don't cry. That was nice of you. Your eyes are pretty too, you know." Matt looked up at him, eyes shining with tears. They were indeed rather pretty, Mello realized. Like limes.

"Really?" He sniffled, actually crying, unlike last night. Mello nodded. "Really."

The two walked down to the office, finding Lilly and Near both already in it. A man in an inky black suit was waiting for them, a small smile on his face.

"Hello there. You two must be Mello and Matt." He saw the tear tracks on Matt's face, and frowned. "Oh dear, is something wrong?" He reached a hand out to touch Matt, and Mello shrieked.

"Don't touch him!" He snapped, knocking his hand away quickly. The man drew back, and Matt looked relieved. Lilly frowned.

"Apologize to the poor man, right now, Mello!" Mello shook his head. "No!" He screamed, stomping his foot. The man interrupted.

"It's quite alright; in fact, it's expected. He doesn't know me, and doesn't appreciate his friend's space being invaded." Mello stopped short. He nodded in acceptance, and said,

"Right then, who the bloody hell are you?" Even Near smiled behind Lilly's back at this. The man laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm awfully rude, huh? My name is Clarence Carter. I'm here to take one of you children in for awhile." Mello frowned.

"Fine, take Near." The albino glared at him, and threw a robot in his direction. Mello caught it with ease, and chucked it back at him. Matt had gotten bored in the course of this, and opened his jacket pocket, quickly yanking out a Gameboy.

"Stupid albino sheep-turtle-whatever-the-hell-you-are!"

"...I hate you! You're stupid!"

"Is that the best you got, sheepie!?"

"Go, Charizard! Use Flamethrower!"

Both Mello and Near glared at Matt, who stuck his tongue out at them, and the arguing revved up again.

In this commotion, Lilly shoved them out of the office, and turned to Clarence. He stood still for a second, and then smiled.

"I believe I'll have Mello."

* * *

About an hour later, the tearful boy was packing his bags. "I don'... I don' wuh-wanna go... Mattie! Mattie, they're makin' me go..." Mello was in tears like Matt had never seen him. Mello never cried. _Ever_. Not like this.

Matt decided that the soft, quiet weeping, that horrible, reedy, almost _musical_ keening, was the saddest thing he'd ever heard. Ever. It was so pleading and lonely that Matt wanted to cry as well, but he knew that he had to stay strong for Mello.

"Please, please, come here." Mello collapsed into his arms at the sound of that gentle command, and Matt held him. "It's going to be okay. You're not leaving forever, remember? Just until Roger gets back. We'll sort this all out when Roger gets back. And if not, I promise I'll come and kidnap you back to live with us." Mello nodded tearfully, face pressed into Matt's chest.

There was a gentle tap at the door, and Matt let go of Mello long enough to open it.

Both L and Near stood there, with miserable expressions on their faces. L went over to the young blonde, and knelt next to him. Mello was shaking now, crying like the world was ending. L stroked his hair, and waited until Mello gave a shuddering breath and said,

"I don' wanna go! Don't make me go! I WANNA STAY HERE!" Mello wailed, shaking his head. L nodded, continuing to stroke Mello's hair, and finally whispering,

"It'll be okay. If you're good, I promise as _soon_ as you get back, I'll make you my successor. Okay?" Mello nodded, but not even that would cheer him up.

Near, the small quiet child, shook his head, and patted Mello's head. "Don't cry. It'll be okay! You'll come back..." Mello sat up. He shook his head, and smiled a bit.

"Even you, Near, huh?" Near nodded, and without warning, hugged Mello tightly. Mello almost recoiled, but he readjusted himself, and leaned into the hug.

"Okay. I'll come back. See you later?" The other three boys hugged him tightly, and Mello grasped at them, savoring the moment.

"Uh-huh."

Mello held L's hand as they walked down the steps, Matt clutching his other one. Clarence was waiting at the bottom of the steps, with that smarmy grin on his face. Matt hissed at him angrily as they approached.

He took Mello's wrist, and pulled insistently. L and Matt both refused to let go for a moment, and Clarence frowned.

"Don't fear, young ones! He'll be back!" Clarence said cheerfully, before dragging Mello away.

It was quiet for two terrible minutes. Just that horrible empty silence.

It took the sight of the car driving away with Mello, precious _Mello_, in the backseat to start Matt screaming.

And it was only going to get much worse. Much, much worse.


	2. Pips

(This is getting somewhere... I'm starting to love this idea. Well, anyways, a couple of random notes; when L mentions pips, they're slang for seeds in a fruit. Weird, right? Kind of WTF.

Um. Like I said before, well, the cursing mostly on Mello's part, and do you _really _think that a young Mello wouldn't enjoy using curse words? Seriously? Either way, yes, cursing is heavy. I swear a lot. ...That's about it. I don't own.)

* * *

His house was about an hour's drive away, he said. It was warm in the car; a Rolls-Royce? Mello wasn't sure...

Best to sleep... Maybe it was a dream, and he'd wake up...

"We're here!" Clarence called cheerfully, rousing Mello out of a fitful sleep. He blinked, and struggled to a sitting upright position. Clarence turned to Mello. "Come on, let's go in. I can't wait to settle you in!" Mello grabbed his few things, and hopped out of the car, rubbing his eyes furiously.

"Wow." He said softly. "Your house is big." Clarence nodded, and took Mello's hand, not noticing the flinch Mello gave in return.

"I suppose so, eh? Come on, we'll get inside, and I'll start dinner!" Mello nodded quietly, thoughts focused on Matt, L, and Near instead.

"_I miss you guys... please come get me soon..." _Mello whispered softly, clutching himself tightly.

They ascended the steps smoothly, Clarence keeping up a constant chatter about how wonderful the house was, and how lucky he was that Mello was here now. Mello himself stayed silent until they opened the door.

"Oh my god." Mello whispered softly, fumbling for his rosary. The house was huge. It looked big enough on the outside, sure, but this thing towered over everyone and everything. It looked like what Mello imagined would be the doge's palace in Venice; everything was layered in gold and crafted elegantly.

"You like it?" Clarence said. Mello nodded slowly, unwrapping another bar of chocolate. "Uh-huh..." He said softly, not meeting Clarence's eyes. The man smiled.

"Good! Let's get you settled, now."

In an hour's time, Mello was curled up in an extravagant bed, silk sheets and down comforters galore. He was eating gourmet food, and Clarence had gotten him a giant bar of Godiva chocolate.

He hated the entire thing. Matt was gone. It meant nothing to him without his friends.

He curled up in the bed, and began to sob, heart-wrenching tears that racked his whole body. He fell asleep, still sobbing and clutching his rosary for comfort.

* * *

L couldn't get the feeling that he'd seen Clarence before out of his head. It was incredibly unnerving, because wherever he'd seen him, it hadn't been good...

Matt was inconsolable. Mello was a lot closer to him then either of them had let on, apparently. He wouldn't eat anything but Mello's chocolates, and he barely played video games at all.

Near was patiently waiting for Roger to get back here and sort this out. Mello, strangely, was actually his best friend... Their intellects were so perfectly matched; quiet Near and fiery Mello. They complemented each other, and now Mello was gone. Near had no one to best.

It had been about two days. Matt was still inconsolable, crying quietly at random intervals, and refusing food. Near hadn't come out of his room at all, and neither had L.

However, L was doing it for different reasons. He was searching his case files in an attempt to figure out where the_ bloody __hell_ he'd seen Clarence Carter before. It hadn't been that name, either; L figured the name was an alias.

But what would he need an alias for?

* * *

Two days had passed in the household without many goings-on. Clarence promised to take Mello shopping for new clothes tomorrow, and he had offered to take Mello to buy him some new books, as well.

But Mello still didn't trust him. The whole place seemed false, somehow. He was terrified of something going wrong.

Clarence was really rather easy-going, but for one rule. Mello was not, under any circumstances, allowed to go downstairs at night. Not ever. If he was in trouble, he was only to yell. Clarence had told him it was because he would be working at business downstairs, and didn't want to be interrupted.

That wasn't really a good explanation for Mello, but he knew he didn't have much choice.

That night, he sat in bed, and stared at his rosary. He wasn't really that religious; the rosary had been his mother's, and he would never want to part from it.

He kept it not only because of that, but because he believed in guardian angels. Angels that took you away to better places when you were lonely and sad, angels that protected you and loved you.

So he prayed not to god, but to angels.

"Please, my guardian angel, help me. I want to go home! I want to see Matt, and L, and even Near! Please get me out of here... I don't like it here, it's freaky. If you get me out, I promise not to knock over Near's dice towers for an entire _week. _Amen." He said quietly, clasping the charm and curling up tight under the covers.

* * *

On the third day of Mello's exile, Roger came back.

Matt saw the car, and screamed with joy. Mello could come back home now!

"ROGER! ROGER!" He roared, rushing down the steps, and bursting out the door. The man was getting out of his car, only to see Matt running down the steps screaming bloody murder.

L was still searching his databases when he heard Matt's scream. He got up, and went for Near immediately.

"Matt, whatever's wrong? Are you all right?" Roger said concernedly. Matt shook his head.

"No! That stupid bitch adopted Mello out, and he's been gone for three days, and I miss him so much, and please make him come back Roger, I'm SCARED for him!" Roger processed that, and said quietly,

"So... You're telling me that she _let someone adopt him?" _He hissed. Matt nodded.

"Uh-huh... An' he's gone now, and I want him back! _Please_, Roger! I need him!" Matt burst into tears, and began wailing. L and Near had slipped outside in the chaos, and Roger observed them all.

"Come inside with me, and explain this further. As soon as I murder our substitute caretaker, of course." Matt was helped inside by L, who was stroking the boy's hair and murmuring in his ear softly. Near trailed behind, eyes hardened in anger. The blank orbs looked like fogged-over mirrors; hard and unreadable.

"Miss Francis. Am I to believe that you adopted out _one of L's top potential successors?" _Roger hissed in a deadly tone. Lilly looked up.

"Of course! It's an _orphanage_, isn't it? Besides, Master Carter seemed like quite the nice young man. I've seen him on the news, in fact." It hit L in a flash.

His eyes widened, and he whispered in abject hatred and terror both,

"You just gave our Mello to a _serial killer." _Everyone stopped short. Lilly looked flustered.

"Wh-what?! Certainly not! His records checked out perfectly!" L shook his head.

"That's because he was using an alias! I _had _seen him before, I knew it! There is a seventy-two percent chance that the suspected killer on the news and Clarence Carter are one and the same person!" Matt felt nauseous. Near's face went blank with horror.

Roger rounded on Lilly. "Out. Before these boys kill you." He warned, and sure enough, it seemed like a deadly threat. The woman rushed out before Matt could launch himself at her and rip her foolish brain out.

L nodded for them all to sit, and he crouched in his chair before continuing.

"Listen to me. Clarence Carter came here and adopted Mello three days ago. We have a very serious problem on our hands if he is indeed a serial killer. We might even have a disaster on our hands. Roger, may I use your computer for a moment?" Roger nodded slowly, and watched as L brought up his case files, and scrolled through a few before clicking on one.

"Our Clarence Carter may be Ryan Smith, and if this is true..." He pulled up the file.

"This specific serial killer targets children, and then he..." L winced.

"He eats them."

Matt put his head between his legs, and threw up.

* * *

_It was so quiet here. It wasn't good, either. There were people here but they weren't talking._

"_Mello?" Matt whispered softly. "Mello, come here, MELLO!" Matt made a move to the left, and screamed. _

_A corpse stared blankly up at him. It wouldn't have been that bad, but— _

"HE DOESN'T HAVE A FUCKING FACE!" _Matt roared in terror. Oh my god, he was going to be sick again. The arms were gnawed at too, stripped down to sickly pink bone. Matt dropped to his knees, and stared. _

_Blonde hair. Blonde hair that was so beautiful, so silky, so much like..._

"MELLO! MELLO! OH MY GOD, NO! MELLO!" _He roared. "Don't be dead, please!" He cried weakly, stroking at Mello's hair frantically._

_No eyes, no nose, no lips, no face, no face, _no face oh god Matt was going to be sick—

"_It's okay, Matt." The corpse rose up, and spoke. The hole that the lips had previously covered moved a bit. His pink-bone hand reached up and gripped Matt's cheek._

"_I can put it back on." _

* * *

Matt awoke screaming. L jumped out of his seat, and stared at the young gamer. "Matt! Matt, what—"

"HE ATE MELLO'S FACE OFF!" Matt screamed. L shook his head. "It was just a nightmare, Matt, don't worry, he's okay—"

"His bones are pink, and he's bloody messed up, and _he's gonna put his face back on! _MELLO'S GONNA DIE!" Matt screamed, face bone white in terror. L went over to him, and looked him in the eyes.

"It was a dream. Do not worry. We'll get him back, safe and sound. We still have time to catch Smith. He usually doesn't kill the kids for a couple weeks or so—" Matt made a retching noise, and began dry-heaving.

"No! It'll be okay, it's okay! We'll get him back, and—"

"It's too late! He already ate Mello's face off! DAMMIT! I WANT MELLO BACK! _MELLO_!" L held him tightly, and rocked Matt back and forth. "We'll catch him. I promise."

Matt collapsed in tears. L sighed, and held the boy tighter. "Shush...Sssh, it's alright, it's okay, sssh, sssh..." He whispered gently, mumbling nonsense words until Matt went back to sleep again.

"He's in terrible condition right now. He woke up screaming that Smith had eaten Mello's face off. I really think he just needs to rest for a bit. Let's take a look at the files, now..." L muttered, opening the file.

"Okay. We can deduce that Smith is rich, either through fraud or family money. Frankly, I'd go for fraud, since if he uses an alias so competently as to adopt a child, I have reason to believe he's good at hacking into the system and creating false names for himself." L said in a monotone, selecting a cherry from the bowl. He bit into it, and frowned.

"Bloody pips. Those things are why I eat strawberries instead." Near huffed.

"Back on subject...?" L nodded.

"Right. Anyways, Clarence Carter is obviously someone of noteworthy status. Lilly mentioned she had seen him on the news. So I want Near to search his name up in the databases; see if we hit any companies, or whatever. It's possible that we might be able to trace Ryan Smith back through his alias." Roger frowned.

"How would that work?" L thought for a second, and bit his thumb.

"Look at it like this; he's using that specific alias for a reason. Perhaps Clarence Carter was a former boss of his, someone he'd like to get back at. Or maybe an abusive relative. Criminals sometimes pick aliases disturbingly close to their original names in meaning to them. Ergo, we may be looking at an abused child, grown up in a broken home, and turned to a life of crime because it was all he knew." L rolled his eyes.

"Though to be frank, I really hope that's not the case. It'd be too much like those bloody _soap operas_ Linda watches." Roger sighed.

"Fine, fine. Near, go pull up anything you can find on Clarence Carter." Near nodded, and shuffled to the other computer, climbing gently into the chair.

L sighed, and put his head in his hands. His tea with twenty sugars had gone unsipped. "_Mello, my protégé, you poor child. Where are you?" _He murmured to himself. Even then, the words didn't seem right. His tongue felt thick in his mouth when he said them. Worry seemed to have ruined his lingual capacities.

Near was quiet for a couple of minutes. Then he said softly, "Come here and look at this." L and Roger peered over his shoulder, as Near read,

"_Clarence Carter, aged thirty-one, exclusive interview! The man behind the plan, and where it all began." _Near said, reading the title. He scanned the interview, and his eyes widened.

"It says here he has a brother named Ryan." L blinked.

"Sibling rivalry? Could we have _two _serial killers, Near?" The white-haired youth shook his head.

"No, no... This man sounds like more of a golden calf; an idol to Ryan, someone he wanted to be..." It hit Near in a flash.

"Wait, when was the last time Clarence Carter was seen?" He hissed urgently. L keyed something into the computer, and said,

"Three months ago..." He whispered softly. Near bit his lip.

"Well, this explains quite a bit."


	3. Jennifer T Delviccio

(Okay. Why did I add an OC? As a gift for my friend, a huge Near fangirl who wanted a Near/OC pairing in this thing, and because I'm itching to try a Death Note OC fic someday. After I finish everything else I'm working on.

In all honesty, I'm praying to god she's not a Sue, but I don't know the rules for this fandom...so, take Jenny as she is, and if I do work with her later, I'll do my best to flesh her out.

Also. The Pink-Boned Boogeyman, Jenny, and the rhyme are entirely my own creation. I own nothing else, not Death Note, or the Mafia, or whatever.)

* * *

It was so quiet right now. Clarence was out on a business trip, he'd said. Mello was unsure of what he did, exactly, but he didn't mind; it meant he could go downstairs now.

Creeping catlike down the steps, he stopped for a second. It reminded him too much of all the times he and Matt had snuck downstairs after hours to get a bar of chocolate, or to visit L...

His cheeks were wet. He sniffled, and thought, "_When did I start crying?" _It didn't really matter much, though. He was, and he missed Matt.

"It'll be okay." He told himself. And then, unbidden, he whispered, "I love you guys..." He was quiet after that, alone with his thoughts as he made his way to the kitchen.

He did love them. Even Near, even Roger. He hadn't ever said that, and he should've... now he was going to die here, die of loneliness and separation anxiety, and now he'd never get to say '_I love you', _not even to Matt...

So he prayed to the angels again.

"Dear guardian angel, let me get out of this alive so I can tell everyone I love them. Please let me go home, and I promise with all of my heart to tell everyone I love them more than anything. And I also promise not to knock over Near's dice towers for a _month. _Amen." He was downstairs by this point, and he peeked into the kitchen.

Nothing. But the fridge stood there, a white block of _chocolate. _He nodded, and rushed over to the fridge, opening it.

He bit back a scream, though it wasn't the best idea; he felt like vomiting, and now his tongue hurt.

A face stared up at him, propped up on a bed of thighs. It looked like a young girl's face, almost like a fairy-child. She'd been beautiful. Mello scanned the rest of the refrigerator, and tried not to scream.

More faces were covered in saran wrap, holes where the eyes had been. Funnily enough, in a twisted sort of way, the eyes were in a jar, staring at the faces they'd once stared out of.

Bits of arms and legs were in the two bottom fruit and vegetable crisper drawers. Male and female, well_, /organs_, Mello thought, _/for lack of a better word/ _were scattered across the top of the shelves.

He steeled himself, and opened the freezer door.

An entire corpse stared back at him, hacked up into pieces, and his bones were...

/Pink, eew, disgusting, it looks like one of Linda's _dolls, _And Mello finally screamed, a soft, almost quiet scream. His voice had cracked from effort of noise he wanted to convey.

/_Pink bones/_

He shook his head.

/_Pink bones and pretty pink frozen skin, all locked up tight in the frigidaire! Frigidaire, wonder what's in there, huh? Should we check, Mello?/ _

Mello shook his head, and backed away.

"No... I know, I know..."

/_That'll be you soon enough, Mello, stuck in the frigidaire, and he'll EAT YOU UP, pink bones and all!/ _Mello turned on his heel, and ran as fast as he could out of that kitchen.

He ran to the bathroom upstairs, and dry-heaved, thanking angels that he hadn't eaten anything yet this morning. Nor, frankly, did he want to now.

He headed back to his room, until he heard a knock on the door downstairs. He froze. "Mello? Mello, it's Clarence! Let me in!" Mello knew he had to act cool. If he wanted to make it out of this alive, he had to play along.

"Coming, Clarence!" He said softly, heading down the steps. He opened the door, and Clarence stood there with a young, black-haired girl. She looked utterly terrified.

"This is your new sister, Mello! She's from an orphanage, too. Say hello, Jennifer." The girl squeaked, and whispered, "Hi..." Before picking up her bags, and starting inside.

Mello sighed. Perfect. This could actually help him, though. An accomplice... He just had to get her out of Clarence's sight for a while.

Lucky for him, Clarence announced, "I have to go back to work for a while. You two behave, and remember, don't stay down here!" He turned and shut the door, and Mello smiled as it clicked shut.

"Jenny?" He said, looking at the girl. Jesus Christ, she looked a bit like Near... Same dead-looking eyes, pale skin, and hair like a tiny_ black _puffball.

Actually, now that he got a better look at her, there were a few more key differences. She had an arrogant, thin face, a sharply pointed miniscule nose, full lips, and a missing left canine tooth. Her hair was down to about the top of her chest, and her skin actually had a tinge of caramel color in it.

But her eyes were the same blank, almost scarred-looking type that Near's were. And frankly, it was rather unnerving.

"_Baa-baa black sheep, have you any wool..." _The old nursery rhyme came back to him, andMello bit his lip in an attempt not to laugh. She glared at him, and said, "It's Jennifer _T. _Delviccio. And what?" He took her hand.

"Come here, I want to show you something." He took her into the kitchen, and said, "Open the fridge." He stepped back, and she did so.

It was quiet for a moment, and then she laughed.

"Big hairy deal. I've seen a few dead bodies in my lifetime. So, the guy's a serial killer?" Mello gave her credit; most girls he knew would've shrieked and probably passed out or whatever.

Jenny grinned at him. "My parents are dead. I'm an orphan. My daddy was in the Mafia with mommy and grandpa." Mello felt even more respect for her.

"Cool. I'm an orphan, too. So, what do you think we should do?" Jenny shrugged.

"Is anyone going to be looking for you?" Mello nodded.

"Yeah; the greatest detective in the world is looking for me!" She gasped softly.

"_L_? Really? So you know him? What's he like?" Mello chuckled.

"He's a sugar-addicted insomniac. But he's really nice, and he takes care of us." He beckoned for her to follow him up the steps, and she did so quietly, shoes clunking as she walked.

"Who's us?" She queried, taking her left arm and grasping her right shoulder. Mello stared, and she laughed. "Right. I do this when I think. Just trying to figure out a plan." Mello nodded.

"Us. Me, Matt, and Near. We're the kids in line for the title of L when he dies." She nodded, and opened the door to his room.

"So. While I think of something, tell me what they're like." Mello was hesitant at first. He just didn't want to start crying again...

"Matt's a gamer. He loves Pokemon, Super Mario, and Resident Evil. Near's my rival. He's freakin' weird. Kind of like you. A little puffball sheep thing." She glared at him.

"I'll have you know I'm an _honorary_ Mafia member! So shut it!" Mello rolled his eyes.

"Where's your gun, then?" Jenny shook her head. She opened her bag, and pulled out a pair of black gloves, putting them on. Mello raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She pinched her thumb and index finger together; and lo and behold, a small knife flicked out of the tip of the index finger in question. Mello gawked.

"Nowhere. I don't need one."

And that was the end of any doubts about Jennifer T. Delviccio Mello had.

* * *

About ten minutes later, Jenny looked up. "Wait... I have an idea..." Mello looked down to her sitting position on the floor. "And it is...?"

She thought. "Do you know where his office is?" Mello shrugged. "Somewhere downstairs. Why?" She grinned.

"Well, doesn't he have a phone?"

...Mello almost kicked himself.

"Uh..." Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. Sheesh, you're bloody stupid." Mello ignored her, and started for the door.

"Wait! I hear something!" Jenny said, ear pressed against the door. Her eyes widened. "Shit. He's back."

* * *

Back at Wammy's, L was fervently searching for an address. "Near! Search business phone records, and find out if any business has his phone number on call!" Another idea came to him.

"And check adoptions in this area in his name. See if the address he leaves is anything we can follow up on." The one he'd left with Wammy's was a summer house in Venice; not very helpful.

Matt was up, and helping best he could. At times, he would begin to cry, but it was never enough that he'd have to stop working. At night, however, it was a different story. Either L or Near had to sleep with him every night to make sure he didn't attempt to hurt himself, or to wake him up from a nightmare.

Separation anxiety had made him a wreck. L knew that for the sake of both of his successors, he needed to get Mello back.

Suddenly, there was an excited gasp from Near. "L! I found an adoption!" L shuffled over, and read the screen. "Delviccio, Jennifer. Foster Parent: Clarence Carter... bloody brilliant, Near. Address?" Near tapped the keyboard gently, and clicked on a link.

"723, Kingston Hills, Liverpool." L nodded. "Close to here... I think we've found him."

Matt burst into the room. "TURN ON THE FUCKING TELLY!" He roared. L jumped. "No need for alarm, what—" Roger turned it on, stone-faced.

L stared at the woman onscreen. "Bloody. Hell." He muttered.

Lilly Evans was on Channel Eleven's News, tearfully recounting her story. "_The man who had adopted him... Clarence Carter! It's a sham! Clarence Carter is a serial killer!" _L clicked it off mid-diatribe. He turned to the others.

"Now he knows we're on to him." Matt began to shake. "Wh-what does that mean for..." L sighed.

"It means if we don't hurry to Liverpool, there is a ninety-eight percent chance of Mello's death within the next two hours."

Matt saw the faceless corpse for an instant before everything went black.

* * *

Jenny and Mello waited upstairs for him to walk in, before Clarence called, "Children, children, come downstairs..." Jenny nodded to Mello, and put on her gloves, whispering, "_just in case", _before following the blonde downstairs.

He had the TV on, and the remote in his hand. "Hey, it's that crazy substitute caretaker lady Roger hired!" Mello blurted out.

Clarence frowned. "Dear me. This will not do, simply won't... do... Damn, I had hoped for a bit longer with the kids... Fear not, pets, we'll have some fun..." Mello gulped. Clarence turned to them.

"You're such beautiful children..." He picked Mello up, and he bit his lip in an attempt not to whimper in pain. "Especially you. Lovely little blonde boy, aren't we?" Mello nodded, and whispered, "Please... put me down." Clarence nodded.

"Of course. Whatever my little prince wants... at least, for now." Mello blinked, and turned to Jenny, who was fiddling with her gloves.

Clarence spied this, and shook his head. "Mh-m, won't do... Such pretty skin, why hide it?" He yanked the gloves off, and tossed them aside.

Mello swore mentally. The knife had been his secret hope. Clarence turned to them. "How about this? I'll cook dinner, and then... I suppose I'll show you my office. Won't that be fun?" And with that, he turned on his heel, and left.

Once he was gone, Jenny groaned. "How are we supposed to find the phone?" She grumbled, doing the shoulder-arm motion again. Mello shook his head helplessly.

She groaned. "Well, if all else fails, we go down fighting. If we open an artery, maybe he'll bleed out before we do." Mello sighed.

"Fan-tas-tic." She shrugged.

"Well... I don't know, okay!? You act like I want to die! I don't! I'm bloody scared, and I don't want to get eaten! HAPPY!?" She roared at him, and he shrank back.

"Sorry... I didn't mean that. I just... Oh, I don't want to get eaten either. Let's come up with a plan." So they sat, and began thinking; Mello nibbling on his chocolate listlessly, and Jennifer T. Delviccio, a knife-wielding honorary Mafia member, grasping at her shoulder, chewing her lip.

* * *

Back at Wammy's, L was trying to find Roger's car keys. "I don't believe it. Mello is about to die, we have Matt passed out in the backseat of your sedan, and _you forgot where you put your bloody car keys." _Roger sighed.

"Well, excuse me for being in a rush yesterday! Here, they're right here!" He snatched them off the top of the fridge. L raised an eyebrow, and Roger said, "To prevent either Matt or Mello getting their hands on them." L nodded.

"Good advice. I'll be sure to tell Matt that they're there." Roger glared at him, and took the keys, storming out. It took L a minute to figure out he'd forgotten to include Mello.

* * *

_Matt rolled over, and realized he was dreaming again. "Mello?" He called out. "Mello?" There was no answer for a second._

_Then there was a soft, bluish-white light coming from somewhere, shining on him._

"_Don't worry, Matt. It'll all work out. The Pink-Boned Boogeyman won't get him! I promise!" Matt blinked._

"_Who's the Pink-Boned Boogeyman?" The light flickered._

"_The bad man under your bed, in your basement and your head, in your closet and shower, the man who comes out in the twilight hour! The Pink-Boned Boogeyman! You know him, Matt; we all do." The light winked out._

"_We just don't acknowledge him." _

* * *

"The... The Pink-Boned Boogeyman." Matt muttered, shakily rising up off the backseat of the car.

L turned around. "Excuse me, Matt?" The redhead shook his head.

"No... I had this dream... The Pink-Boned Boogeyman, he's..." Near's eyes widened.

"I know him! The Pink-Boned Boogeyman is from a nursery rhyme! You know, _the bad man under your bed, in your basement and your head, in your closet and your shower, the man who comes out in the twilight hour!" _Matt nodded.

"That's what the dream said... do you think it has any significance? What's the rhyme about, Near?" The little white-haired boy thought for a minute.

"Well, that's the beginning of the rhyme, but... I think... _Stealing fairy faces, in all sorts of places, he's unknown and never shown, hiding in the dark spaces where light doesn't shimmer, and little by little making the dark grow dimmer." _He continued.

"_The Pink-Boned Boogeyman goes where hope doesn't grow, and goes to what the mind won't show; the Pink-Boned Boogeyman spirits children away, by the light of the moon and the dawn of the day... _Um, there's more, but I can't remember it. Give me a bit..."

L nodded, and considered it. "Well... we might actually have something here... _the Pink-Boned Boogeyman spirits children away, by the light of the moon and the dawn of the day..." _He bit his lip and hissed in frustration.

Matt thought. "Goes to what the mind won't show... dark places are mentioned a lot. Somewhere with a basement... but that won't help. Lots of places have a basement." He turned to Near.

"What's the rest of the rhyme?" Near spoke again, reciting the passage, "_He collects little children, and locks them up tight; far away from their parents' sight. His palace is gold and grand; a sign of the riches at his hand. He nibbles their bones and makes them his own... _Alright, can I stop? We haven't learned much else, and this is freaking me out." Near said quietly. L nodded.

"No, not much point in it. But... dark places... rich houses..." He sighed. "Let's try this Liverpool address. Roger, damn it, I don't _care _about the speed limit! Drive faster!" He barked, pulling his knees up to his chest again.

Matt curled up again, hugging himself.

"We're so close. Let this be the right address." He murmured. "Let Mello be okay... I love him so much..." He hugged himself quietly, and began to cry.


	4. Your Guardian Angel

(The final chapter! It was rather short, but I liked it, so who cares. For all that read this thing, thank you so much. I'm glad you liked it too! QQ, here's your damn Near/OC ship, ya happy? Ah, right. Don't own. Love the ending, too.)

* * *

Mello was starting to worry. It wasn't that Clarence was killing them, at least, not yet, but...

"Beef stew?" Jenny echoed. Clarence nodded.

"My specialty! Try it, it's perfectly good!" Mello remembered Roger saying the exact same thing about salad... however, in that case, Roger hadn't been telling him to eat roasted _child, _so really, two ends of the spectrum here.

Jenny nodded. She sat down, and took a bite. Mello almost gasped, until she nodded, and stuck her tongue out. Potato. Okay. He could just eat around what had probably been some poor kid's arse. Lovely.

Mello nibbled on the celery, potatoes, and carrots lightly, as Clarence seemed to fully enjoy himself, biting heartily into the unknown meat chunks. Mello felt like he was going to vomit, but kept his cool.

Jenny ate mostly bread, which, hopefully, wasn't made from flour of ground-up fingernails or something, and finally said, "I'm full." Clarence nodded.

"Good, good. It's almost night time, now. Come on, we'll go see my office." The two had no choice but to follow him out of the kitchen, and downstairs into the basement.

_/Stealing fairy faces, in all sorts of places, he's unknown and never shown, hiding in the dark spaces where light doesn't shimmer, and little by little making the dark grow dimmer.../_

Mello shivered, and murmured, "It's really cold down here..." Clarence nodded.

"Indeed. It's quite beneficial to the thought system, you know." Mello nodded slowly, saying nothing.

"_Guardian angel, wherever the _hell _you are, get off your ass and GUARD me already! I'm about to die! DO SOMETHING! If you do, I'll freaking _sleep _with Near if it makes you happy! JUST GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" _Mello prayed silently.

"...Amen." He muttered as an afterthought. Jenny raised an eyebrow.

They had reached the bottom of the steps. Mello winced. Shit. His guardian angel was probably an alcoholic, and was passed out somewhere in heaven. Stupid fucker.

Clarence turned on the bare lightbulb.

"_Oh god, how cliché. I'm sorry, are we in a B-movie?" _Jenny thought.

_/He nibbles their bones and makes them his own.../_

Mello felt the odd sensation of cloth around his ankles, and bare skin getting cooled by the air, and even then, he didn't register this until Clarence had whipped him.

He bit back a scream, and managed to stutter, "Wh-why, ooou, ouuuw, that _hurts!" _Clarence smiled, and tore at Mello's shirt. He didn't even have time to be ashamed before Clarence started smacking him with the leather switch.

"Nothing personal. Tenderizing the meat." Mello had closed his eyes, so he only heard Jenny's muted gasp, and the sound of a belt buckle falling to the floor.

"From the inside out."

And then there was nothing but pain.

_/the bad man under your bed, in your basement and your head, in your closet and shower, the man who comes out in the twilight hour.../

* * *

___

When he opened his eyes again, Clarence was gone, and Jenny was struggling to stand, blood gushing from in-between her legs.

"Can... can you stand?" She asked, trying to get up. Her body was a giant bruise; a sickly dark purple, and Mello suspected his own body was in the same state.

He looked down, and blushed. He was completely naked. Great... And he was, indeed, a massive human-shaped bruise.

"I think I can—aaah!" He hissed. Oh my god, his butt hurt like hell...

Jenny winced. "Oh, right... Sorry." Mello was hit with an epiphany.

"He... um, he... did _that _stuff to me, didn't he?" Genius or not, he was still too young to really comprehend that,

"Yeah, he raped you. ...If it makes you feel better, I didn't watch. He did it to me, too." She sounded rather matter-of-fact. He couldn't think about that right now. Because he, he'd... Mello sat back down again.

He'd... been, well, ra—

He shook his head. He wouldn't say it. Not now.

"When did he leave?" He asked Jenny, who thought for a second, before whispering, "About ten minutes ago. Said he needed to prepare." Mello nodded.

"Okay. As soon as he comes back down, jump him. Try to leave the chain on; maybe you can strangle him or something. Anyways, if not, go for his eyes. I'll help, but..." He smirked grimly.

"I don't think my ass is cooperating right now." Jenny nodded.

"Yeah, this bloody-vagina thing isn't helping much, either. Shit, I really hope that L dude gets here, and soon..."

* * *

They were, in fact, on their way. "Almost there... pull up the goddamned driveway! ROGER! Do _not _tell me you're actually considering ringing the doorbell!?" L roared, slamming his foot into the door.

"...We _did _remember to bring guns, correct?" Roger managed to make out. L sighed, and tossed him a Glock.

"If I wasn't here, there is an eighty-six percent chance of you all being_ dead_ right now... I swear..." He muttered, turning to Matt and Near.

"Listen to me. Find the basement, and get down there. We will deal with Clarence. Go! _Now_!" Both of them hauled it out of there. L nodded to Roger.

"Heard something in the kitchen. Stay quiet." Roger agreed, and the two started silently for the kitchen.

Matt found the door by the smell of blood. It stunk like mad, and the open door didn't help matters.

_/The Pink-Boned Boogeyman goes where hope doesn't grow, and goes to what the mind won't show.../

* * *

___

He and Near ran down there as fast as possible, trying not to trip on the steps, or make noise.

"MELLO!" He hissed loudly, calling for the blonde as best he could.

Said blonde's head shot up. "Mattie?" He whispered.

Jenny looked up. "Hey! Hey! Chained up to your left, redhead!" The two snapped their heads left, and saw the two, naked, obviously abused, and both bleeding out of their lower orifices.

Matt had never been happier to see Mello in his entire life.

He rushed up to the boy, and tackled him, until Mello squeaked, "Bruises!" Matt pulled away, and kissed him full on the mouth, causing both Near and Jenny to stop in surprise.

"...Uh. Anyways, hey, you were right, Mello; I do look like mister albino-puffball here. Only with black hair. Nice to meet you, sheepie." He growled at her, and picked up a shirt.

"Put this between your legs. It'll help with the bleeding." He said in a soft tone, and Jenny smiled at him. She put her hand on his shoulder, and said quietly,

"I, um, don't know you that well, Near... but could I have a hug? This... uh, it hurts really bad..." She said in a quiet tone. Near nodded slowly, and hugged her gently, positioning the shirt better between her legs.

The two boys were staring at each other in amazement.

"...Did you just kiss me?"

"...Were you just raped?"

Matt nodded, as did Mello.

"Yeah, I just kissed you."

"Yeah, that asshole raped me."

And just like that, Mello burst into tears. "IT BLOODY _HURTS_!" He roared. Matt nodded.

"I know... please, come here. It's okay..." Mello collapsed into him, and sobbed, great fat tears that fell almost painfully slow down his cheeks. Matt stroked his hair gently.

"Hey, hey, don't worry... remember, I promised to get you back? I'm here... it's okay. I'll protect you." Mello looked up.

"Oh... good. My guardian angel wasn't drunk somewhere. Praise God." He snuffled.

Matt raised an eyebrow. Mello managed to laugh darkly. "Do I have to sleep with Near now? 'Cause I don't think my poor arse can handle much more of this shit." Matt shook his head.

"I have no idea what you're saying, and I don't goddamn care, I love you so much." He kissed Mello again, just a soft, gentle kiss, so childlike. Just what the two of them were, really.

Children.

Mello held Matt's hand, and nodded. "I love you, too." And they hugged, two scared little kids up against the boogeyman in all of our closets.

_/ The Pink-Boned Boogeyman spirits children away, by the light of the moon and the dawn of the day.../

* * *

___

L saw Smith before he saw L. Roger's lip curled, and he almost burst in, but for L's quick shake of his head.

"No. Leave this to me."

He whipped around, and pointed the gun at Smith. The man looked up.

"Dear me, the boy's cavalry has arrived." He said smoothly, before pulling out his own gun.

L sighed, and fired one shot.

Smith swore, and clutched his arm, which was now bleeding profusely. L smirked, and went over to him. "Well, you're under arrest for being a supercilious asshole, for giving my third successor nightmares, for kidnapping my second successor, murder, and whatever the _hell _else I can pin on you, which would be quite a bit—"

Ryan Smith whipped around, and shot L point-blank.

He went over to L's body, and smirked down at the fallen detective.

L grinned shakily up at him. "Missed."

And with that, he got Smith right between the eyes.

"L! L! Are you all right?" L rolled an exasperated eyeball in Roger's direction.

"_Seriously, _Roger? I just got shot point-blank in the chest, _NO I AM NOT BLOODY __ALL RIGHT__, CALL A DAMNED AMBULANCE!" _The caretaker jumped.

"Right! Sorry!" He rushed over to the phone, and quickly dialed the emergency number.

L sighed. It would be nice to sleep right now... but he knew if he slept, he'd never wake up. So forget... it...

He sighed. Smith had reached his chest, sure... but he was positive that he'd missed the heart or any major arteries.

As the sound of sirens reached him, he smiled, and closed his eyes.

Mello was alright now.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

About an hour later, the entire group was in the hospital. L was going to be okay, though he was still in surgery; the bullet had indeed missed any major arteries.

Mello and Jenny were, of course, being fussed over by Roger, Matt, and Near.

Jenny opened a bleary eye. "Near, I would appreciate if you didn't use my body as your robot's battleground, thanks." The little white-haired boy shook his head, and twirled a strand of hair, grinning at her.

"Nope. You're even more fun to mess with than Mello." Jenny sighed. She held out a hand, and Near put a black robot in it.

"Rawr, I eat your babies!" She said quietly, stomping her robot on top of Near's. He smiled, and while the two continued to play, Matt was fussing over Mello like mad.

"Are you okay? Do you need another chocolate bar? Are you sure you don't need your pillow fluffed? I can go get chocolate cake from the cafeteria downstairs, do you want that? I'll do whatever you want, Mello!" The blonde rolled his eyes.

"No, no, no, no, and if you really will do whatever I want, kiss me." Matt grinned, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Roger sighed.

"I suppose I can't stop the two of you... but please, for what it's worth, wait until Mello's bruises heal before you do _anything." _Near grinned.

"This includes getting Roger's car keys from on top of the refrigerator, and going for a spin. Though if you do so, get me first." Mello grinned evilly.

"Wait, how did you learn that?!" Roger snapped at Near. The albino puffball shrugged.

"L told me in the car."

Roger sighed, and leaned back. "Typical."

* * *

About another three hours later, L was out of surgery and slightly less drugged up than before. Mello and Jenny both demanded to see him, and Roger complied immediately, getting two wheelchairs from one of the nurses.

"I wanna drag race." Jenny grumbled, as Near pushed her wheelchair along. Matt and Mello looked at each other, and nodded. "One-two-three, GO!"

The group of kids began wheeling the two down the hallway, as Near supplied revving car noises. Roger simply sighed, and shook his head, muttering, "As soon as I get home, I swear, I am having a stiff glass of brandy..."

"Run down the hall and let go!" Mello shrieked, as Jenny caterwauled happily. Matt sighed, and hung on the back of the chair, as they rolled neck-and-neck with Near and Jenny.

"The door! Room 373! We're passing L's room, GO BACK!!" Mello shrieked. Matt hit the wheelchair brakes, and the blonde was flung out of the chair, face down on the floor.

"Ooops." Near said casually, bringing Jenny to a slow stop in front of the door. Mello muttered something angry and unintelligible as Near opened the door.

L lay upright in bed, taking sugar cubes from the small bowl next to him. Jenny stared in awe at the detective, then at Near.

"...Wow. Are you like, his ghost or something?" Near's eyes narrowed. L laughed quietly.

"Hello, Mello, Matt, Near. Who's this?" The girl stuck her hand out.

"Jennifer T. Delviccio, honorary Mafia member. It's a pleasure." He grinned, and flopped a weak hand out.

"Forgive me, I'm afraid I'm still rather out of it. Painkillers..." Mello hugged the black-haired man, and squeezed gently.

"Th-thank you... I'm so glad you saved us. L... I love you so much..." The man nodded, and stroked Mello's hair.

"I love you too. I'm glad you're okay." Mello turned to Near.

"It kills me to say this, but I love you too, sheepie. I promised my guardian angel I'd tell you all that, and well..." Near hugged him gently.

"Okay."

Jenny coughed lightly in the background. "And, hello?" Mello rolled his eyes. "I love you too, you weird black-sheep freak." She grumbled something at him.

Roger came in the door. "Mello..." Mello turned around, and hugged him tightly.

"I love you too." Roger sighed.

"Any chance of that love preventing you from taking my car for a spin?" Mello chuckled, and shook his head.

"Not a chance."

* * *

Back at Wammy's about a week later, there was a slight problem.

"What do you mean, you can't take her back!?" Roger shouted into the phone. "He's bloody _dead_! What do you mean, he legally adopted her, and his estate has to decide... oh hell, never mind!" He slammed the phone down.

He turned to the group of small children, and L, and said quietly, "Well, Jenny, I don't think you have any where to go as of now." Matt blinked.

"But she can stay here! Right?" Roger sighed.

"Well, it's a school for genii, so I don't think..." Jenny made an annoyed face.

"Please pull up my records. You'll find I have an IQ of almost one hundred sixty-seven." L smirked slightly, and selected her records from the database on Roger's computer.

Jenny stood there, a stolid smirk on her slight features as everyone stared in awe. "Mh-hm. Now, about this estate thing..." She clicked on the adoptive parent's section, keyed in a few codes, and changed it to "Quillsh Wammy." She grinned.

"As of now, thanks to my under-appreciated but uber-amazing hacking skills, I am currently under the ward of Wammy's House."

The boys cheered. Roger swilled down his glass of brandy.

Did it have a happy ending? Well, I guess it could be called that.

Except for Roger.

The newspapers ate the serial-killer-cannibal thing up. As was to be expected. So, about a week later...

* * *

-_Vroom, vroom, vruum, vruuum...-_

"BWAHAHAHAHA!! DIE, SCUM, DIE UNDER MY BLAZING WHEELS OF RUBBER!" Mello roared, driving Roger's Coup de Ville down the driveway, Matt howling happily in the shotgun. The reporters shrieked, and ran away like a flock of geese, while Mello cackled like a madman.

Jenny raised an eyebrow. Near sighed. "It provides collective entertainment. You get used to it."

Normality after being adopted, kidnapped, raped, almost-murdered, kissed by your best friend, and meeting a strange girl with black hair who actually managed to keep Near off his tail?

Not for Mello, that was for certain.

And all the others were glad to be along for the ride.


End file.
